@smallserenity
I did come across Dr. Roger Washington's Clinic externship a while back, but wasn't sure if doing externship in California is legal for IMG.
Could you please give me more info and tell me little bit about your experience in this externship?
Also how much in advance one has to apply for this externship ?
Thanks.
Hi Snehal R, There seems to be a misunderstand with 'externs are illegal in CA' but in fact it's not illegal to do externships in California. It is illegal to hire externs to 'practice medicine', which means no examining patients and managing patients without direct supervision from licensed doctor. However, It is completely legal to have externs assist in a doctor's clinic. This means that you can exam patients and more if the doctor has asked the patient and gave you permission.
I just finished my externship last week and memory is very fresh. I have found it very useful. He's a Stanford Medical School graduate, trained at San Jose O'Connor Family Medicine program. He has been practising Family Physician for over 30 years in the Bay Area, and has a lot of teaching experience.
During my externship, I performed all the activities a Medical Assistant can do, which included taking patient's medical history, collecting the vitals signs, taking notes during consultations, performing EKG and spirometry.
Dr. Washington made me feel involved in his practice. He tried to get me to see as many patients with him as possible (some patients don't want externs in their consultations), included me during patient consultations, and we discussed each case after consultant. I learned how to write prescriptions, request blood tests and refer patients to specialist according to the patient's health insurance system requirements.
Furthermore, he gave me tutorials during my externships. Tutorial topics vary widely each time, he introduced the structure of USA health care system, gave me tips on how to strengthen my personal statements, and advice on how to improve my interview skills.
Rena, the current Medical Assistant, who work with Dr. Washington, is a really lovely person to work with. She really helped me settle in the practice. I highly encourage anyone who wants an externship in California to contact him directly and set up an appointment. His website is
http://rogerwashington.com/externship-program/
I applied in November 2016 and got my externship in January-February 2017. Wish you good luck.